Minimalism is a fad that instills a whole lot of discussion and debate in the web site design community. Because of this, chances are good that you have heard of minimalist design and noticed its principles in training on websites that you see day in and day out.

However, what exactly is minimalist layout? And is it the right option for your website?

Minimalism defined

In web design, minimalism can easily be construed as simple, lackluster or easy to accomplish. However, that's very far from the truth.

To the contrary, minimalism is a philosophy of web design which strives to remove all unessential features and components in order to enhance usability by providing a clean, compact browsing experience that is absent of unnecessary clutter and distractions.

Focus

Every successful minimalist design begins with a crystal-clear vision of the aim of the website and the key messages it needs to convey.

Prior to any design decisions are made, it's essential to outline the goals and content of the site. This necessitates determining what information is the most vital to people and arranging it in order of importance.

Typography

Because minimalist layout is reduced to just its most crucial visual elements, the site's content takes center stage. Consequently, typography is key to capturing the consumer's interest.

The choice and usage of typefaces in minimum layout is critical to creating a special look and texture that makes a lasting impression on visitors. For that reason, it's important to select a combination of typefaces that both reflect the character of their brand and supply a clean, pleasing user experience.

Color

A common myth of minimalism in site design is the fact that it involves a lack of color. As many minimalist sites do comprise a color palette that is limited to white and black, this is merely an aesthetic option, not a requirement. Instead, just like the rest of the components of minimalist design, color should be deployed in ways that highlight restraint and focus.

Minimalist sites commonly employ a single continuous background colour that sets the mood or tone for the site. A carefully selected accent colour is subsequently employed to draw the consumer's attention to key characteristics of the site, such as specific elements or significant points inside the content. It is important to ensure that the accent colour isn't utilized to excess, or else it will lose its impact.

Layout

Design is a make-or-break element of minimalist design. It requires proper implementation and an absolute lack of ambiguity. All elements must work together to keep the primary focus on the website's content.

Minimalist design requires special attention to certain important elements. By way of example, the business name and logo needs to be in a prominent location in order to establish the site's identity and market the brand.

Next, as with any website, ease of navigation is critical. Navigation menus must be convenient to locate and use on any device or platform. If visitors must scavenge for information, the web site will not be popular, however beautiful it is.

Additionally, it is often incorrectly assumed that a minimal website design excludes graphics and graphics. After all, we're focusing on great typography, few colours and highly structured designs, so images will merely present chaos, right?

In fact, no. Pictures are an important element of any site's content, and in minimalist layout, images may be used to powerful effect in the absence of additional competing graphical components.

White space

This term merely refers to the space which exists between content.

White space is a critical part of any design - not only minimalism. It can be tempting to fill this vacant space to be able to create the best utilization of the available real estate on the page. However, in fact, it is this space between articles which helps users make sense of the page and understand which elements are most important.

In minimalist design, white space is utilized to help direct and direct the user's attention. By way of example, content that stands alone will draw attention instantly. What's more, white space may also be used to group similar items together and to make separation and distinguish between elements of various levels of significance.

While minimalist layout is appealing in its simplicity, it is not the right choice for every website. It works great for those sites which are based around serving a singular purpose - if that is selling an app or presenting a portfolio of work.

So how do you determine whether your website would benefit from being redesigned using a minimalist approach?

The solution is more simple than you might think. No matter what business you are in, your website exists to assist that business grow. Therefore, every choice you make with regard to your site ought to be based on if it is going to help to progress your business development goals.

A fantastic place to start is by assessing your present site. Make a listing of its various features and elements. Now organize that list in order of usage, together with the most frequently used ones on the top. From that point, go down the list and remove any that are not often used or aren't crucial to supporting the business goals of your site.

If what remains on the listing reflects a few relatively easy thoughts and functions, your website could be a good candidate to get a minimalist redesign. Further exploration with an experienced site design company can help you identify the ways that your website may be simplified and streamlined.

As always, usability trumps all, therefore any changes have to be driven by the objective of providing the best possible experience for people which motivates them to take action. Implementing minimalism just because it is a popular fad could ultimately undermine your site's capability that will help you catch and convert new customers. But if your purpose is to present a focused message in a strong manner, minimalist layout will provide a point where those ideas can shine.